This is as Makanta is being detained at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) cell of the Niger State Police Command in Minna.
The family members of Malam Idris Usman Makanta, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Niger State, have raised the alarm over his deteriorating health condition.
This is as Makanta is being detained at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) cell of the Niger State Police Command in Minna.
Makanta, who was arrested on the orders of Governor Umaru Bago, has spent almost two weeks in police custody despite being granted bail by competent courts.
His arrest followed allegations of criticising the state government and planning an independent agricultural initiative believed to rival the state-backed Niger Foods project.
Relatives described his arrest and continued detention as politically motivated and aimed at silencing dissenting voices in the state.
A family source told SaharaReporters on Monday morning, “But the truth is, he has been looking very sick and it keeps getting disturbing.”
“He has no access to proper medication or medical care for his underlying illness. We are deeply worried that anything could happen to him in that cell,” the source added.
He is reportedly being held at the CID of the command headquarters in Minna, the Niger State capital.
“The cell is terribly filthy and overcrowded, with nearly 40 people crammed into a small space. The place is taking a toll on him physically and psychologically,” the family source further stated.
Makanta, who is almost 70 years old, was earlier arraigned before Chief Magistrates Court I, Minna, on charges of mismanagement of agricultural inputs, which his legal team has described as baseless and politically motivated.
His lawyers maintained that Makanta never handled any funds but only verified and forwarded the names of genuine farmers under the Niger Foods initiative.
They insisted that his continued detention constitutes a violation of his constitutional rights and “a direct assault on the rule of law.
Human rights advocates have since joined the call for his immediate release and access to medical treatment, warning that his health condition could worsen if he remains in custody under the current deplorable conditions.
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